Hillsborough, Auckland

Suburb:	Hillsborough
City:	Auckland
Island:	North Island
Surrounded by  - to the north  - to the north-east  - to the east  - to the south  - to the west  - to the north-west	Three Kings Royal Oak Onehunga Manukau Harbour Waikowhai Mount Roskill

Hillsborough is an Auckland, New Zealand suburb.

Hillsborough is under the local governance of the Auckland City Council. According to the 2001 census, Hillsborough has a population of 9912.

Hillsborough is a leafy suburb of nice but largely unremarkable 20th century houses. The area is serviced by two shopping areas; Onehunga and Three Kings. The area is served by several good State secondary schools including Mount Albert Grammar School, Marcellin College, Marist College and St Peter's College.

History of Hillsborough

Named for Auckland's first Postmaster James Carlton Hill who left land to the City for use as public domains in his 1858 will.

The most interesting building in the area is Pah Homestead (or The Pah). This building was constructed for James Williamson by Thomas Mahoney in 1877. Of plastered brick in the Italianate style it is based upon Queen Victoria & Prince Albert's house Osbourne House in the Isle of Wight. It was allegedly the largest house ever built in New Zealand and certainly one of the most expensive.

Monte Cecilia Park

The Pah was eventually purchased by the Roman Catholic Church in 1913 and renamed Monte Cecilia, Part of the remaining land close to the house was developed as a school and the house itself was used as emergency housing for many years. The Auckland City Council recently purchased the property. Its magnificent grounds contain a number of interesting specimen trees and is now part of a public park named Monte Cecilia Park. The house is now being used to display James Wallace's extesive collection of New Zealand Modern art.

Surrounding the park are various established uses including Monte Cecilia Primary School, the Franciscan's Friary, Marcellin College, Roskill Masonic Hospital, Liston Village including the historic Pah Stables.

References

Colonial Architecture In New Zealand. John Stacpoole. A.H & A.W. Reed 1976.